


Grounded

by SoDoRoses (FairyChess)



Series: LAOFT Extras [70]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abandonment Issues?, Anxiety, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-23 00:09:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20882939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyChess/pseuds/SoDoRoses
Summary: So very, very grounded.(Maybe not the way Logan thinks.)





	Grounded

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt"
> 
> “Ok so I just read Dawn, the one where they all wake up together after keeping Logan thoroughly occupied waaaay past curfew, and now I have a great need for the reactions of family members. I’m sure Roman’s grandma would have something especially salty to say, perhaps Thomas would knowingly tease Logan, and I’m sure all four of them would cower at the absolute divine retribution that is Logan’s mother… but I have to know for sure! Pretty please?” from [@thoroughly-inktroverted](thoroughly-inktroverted.tumblr.com)
> 
> And thanks to my Beta, [@Vivi_Marius](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vivi_Marius/pseuds/Vivi_Marius) who also wrote a DOPE fic about Eirwen ([here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20839640)) and you should totes go read it

**[From: Bug]  
u are dead.**

**[From: Bug]  
jsyk**

Logan winced at the text message blinking at him. On the one hand, it was good to be able to ask Thomas in advance if his absence had gone unnoticed – which it had definitely _not_ – and therefore a positive that he brought his battery pack with him nearly everywhere.

On the other hand, Logan _deeply regretted_ bringing his battery pack everywhere.

**[To: Bug]  
** **How bad is it?**

Thomas’s response came almost instantly.

**[From: Bug]  
You. Are. Dead. Dude.**

**[From: Bug]  
done for. finite ** **incantatem** **. mommas gonna skin u AND ur boyfriends and u can be together 5ever in our living room when she makes you into a rug**

Patton gave Logan a questioning look and Logan shook his head.

**[To: Bug]  
Have you told her we are on our way?**

The response was slower this time. They were nearly there, and Roman was looking increasingly more green as they went.

**[From: Bug]**  
**1 – WE? I thought u liked ur bfs why do u want momma to kill them???**

**[From: Bug]  
** **and 2 no because im salty w/ u**

Logan’s frown deepened.

It had been more than half a year since Eirwen’s binding had been broken – Logan was ashamed to admit he’d assumed Thomas’s anxiety over Logan vanishing into the forest and never returning would have been… well, cured, for lack of a better term.

This was going to be a deeply unpleasant conversation.

“I will not be upset with you if you want to turn around,” said Logan dryly.

“And leave you to face the wrath of Dot Sanders alone?” said Roman, “What kind of knight do you take me for?”

“Certainly not the sensible kind,” said Logan, trying not to smile fondly when Roman let out an indignant scoff.

Roman must have seen it anyway, because his own mouth ticked up in a grin. He ducked down to give Logan a kiss, which Logan responded to probably a little more eagerly than was appropriate for their current situation.

He was doing his best not to make a “big deal” out of it. The cultural focus on sex as the most important expression of intimacy was artificial and unnecessary. It was not as if Logan had needed _proof_ they were in love. His feelings hadn’t changed.

But he did undeniably feel _different – _though he wasn’t sure if he could point _out_ the difference, even with assistance. He was trying not to think about it too much, because it was irritating, not being able to pinpoint a cause for it.

Roman didn’t quite end the kiss so much as he switched to giving Logan repeated, enthusiastic pecks that made Logan let out a sound entirely too close to _giggling_ for his preferences. Patton definitely _did_ giggle, and Virgil squeezed Logan’s hand.

The light atmosphere was short-lived. As soon as Logan’s backyard came into view, Roman’s faintly nauseous expression returned, and both Patton and Virgil winced.

Logan tested the knob of the back door, not surprised to find it unlocked – probably left open for the night in anticipation of his late return, and Logan carefully did not focus on the knot of guilt in his stomach.

The moment he opened it he was accosted by the face of his mother – she came nearly skidding around the corner, looking frazzled and pale, and Logan braced himself for a lecture.

He was not, however, prepared for Mom to _burst into tears._

Logan felt like every single alarm bell in his head went off at once – upset loved ones were very high on his list of distressing situations, and _crying_ loved ones tipped over into outright _unacceptable_ situations. Logan was across the room before he’d thought it through, his hands hovering nervously over her shoulders and trying desperately to think of something to say.

Mom opened her arms, waving insistently, and that at least was a familiar signal. Logan was taller than her now, but somehow it was still easy to tip forward and let her wrap her arms around him, rocking them both.

“Oh, honey, Logan, are you okay? Are you hurt, baby?”

The guilty knot felt like it had become a lead weight.

“No,” said Logan thickly.

Mom started checking him over anyway as she pulled back, patting his ribs and inspecting his arms – she cupped his face, turning it back and forth. Logan didn’t resist any of it, and tried not to look at the tears on her face that were making his own throat close.

Mom must have seen the other three over his shoulder, and she surprised him again by looking even _more_ distressed.

“What about you three?” she demanded, hurrying towards them and dragging Logan with her, “Oh _god_ did you have to fight anybody? Are you hurt?”

Virgil looked startled, and a little lost. Patton looked absolutely miserable, and Roman was wearing a curiously blank expression that made Logan want to press him for answers immediately.

“No, ma’am,” said Virgil quietly, “None of us are hurt,”

Mom looked like she didn’t believe him for a moment, and then she must have remembered Virgil couldn’t lie. She relaxed, a nervous, relieved smile on her face. Dad came into the kitchen then, and seemed like he was going to say something before Mom rushed to assure him.

“No one’s hurt,” she said, “And Verge told me, not Roman,”

“Hey,” said Roman. He might have been trying for humor. He just sounded like he was choking.

“Oh thank goodness,” said Dad, actually tilting his head back and scrubbing his hand across his face. Logan thought he might throw up.

“Honey, what _happened?_” said Mom, squeezing his hand, “Did you get trapped somewhere?”

Logan stared at them, both of their faces pinched and drawn with worry, and found he had literally never felt like more of a _jackass_ in his entire life.

“Logan?”

He swallowed.

“It was my idea-” Roman blurted.

“Do not lie to them,” said Logan firmly, “I understand you want to share the blame of this but we are doing it equally,”

“_Blame?_” said Dad incredulously.

There was another pause as Logan steadied himself.

“There was no emergency,” said Logan, “At no point were any of us in danger,”

He tried to take his hand back from Mom, but she wouldn’t let go. He cleared his throat.

“I was-”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, almost hissing in frustration.

“Logan-”

“I wasn’t thinking,” he said quickly, “Which- which may or may not be worse than actively making a decision without considering your feelings, but-”

Mom squeezed his hand, like _he_ was the one who needed to be reassured right now.

“But regardless, I have- I have clearly done something very hurtful, and I shouldn’t have and-”

He took another breath to try and stave off the tears threatening and his eyes, but it was a pointless venture.

“… and I’m really, _really_ sorry,” he choked.

His parents still looked utterly baffled, looking between Logan, crying, and the other three in various expressions of guilt and mortification.

Dad’s eyebrows flew up, crossing his arms.

“Logan Elijah Sanders,” he said, “Are you telling us you missed curfew and stayed out all night because you were getting _frisky with your boyfriends?_”

“Kill me,” Roman muttered.

“You _wish_,” said Dad instantly, and Roman paled.

“Is that what happened, Logan?” said Mom, her expression unreadable.

He nodded, trying to surreptitiously wipe his face.

She watched him for a moment, scanning his face.

“… Okay,” she said.

Logan sniffed.

“Okay?” he repeated incredulously.

Dad moved to say something and Mom laid her free hand on his forearm.

“Do you regret it?”

Logan winced, trying to figure out a phrasing that wouldn’t make this situation ten times worse.

“No, I’m sorry,” said Mom, shaking her head, “I very much hope you _don’t_ regret- that. Do you feel bad about not coming home, or texting us?”

Logan nodded instantly.

Mom turned and looked at Dad, and they seemed to have some sort of non-verbal conversation for a long moment before he nodded firmly.

“Don’t do it again,” said Dad firmly, “At least text us if you’re going to stay out,”

Logan stared at them.

“I-what?”

“Logan,” said Mom, “Honestly? I’m just glad you’re not hurt, honey. And I don’t think grounding you is gonna make you feel any worse than you already do anyway,”

“You…” he started, “You are not punishing me?”

Mom wrinkled her nose.

“Didn’t say that,” she said, “Go talk to your brother,”

Ah.

“… Yes, ma’am,” he said weakly.

Logan tried not to wince as he started up the steps and heard the faint “Now as for you three-” that faded out as he reached his room.

“Hey,” said Thomas, casting Logan a brief, brittle smile over his shoulder. He was lying on his stomach on his bed, a book open and propped up in front of him.

It was upside down.

“How bad was it?” said Thomas conversationally, “Am I talking to a ghost?”

“I’m sorry,”

Thomas went very still.

“I should have called you,” said Logan softly, “More than even Mom or Dad, I should have told _you_ where I was,”

Thomas shrugged.

“It’s not a big deal,” he said thinly, “I- I get it, you don’t… you don’t have to apologize,”

Logan titled his head.

“I don’t understand,” he said, “What do you ‘get?’ I have been negligent with your feelings and behaved irresponsibly – I can not fathom what you might ‘get’ that would make such a thing acceptable,”

Thomas rolled over, staring at the ceiling.

“You have boyfriends now,” he said. He sounded… strangely calm. _Too_ calm.

“It’s… _they’re _important. To you,” said Thomas, “That’s normal. That’s how it works,”

“How _what_ works?”

“You know, like-”

Thomas waved his hand around.

“It makes sense that you’ve just got… different priorities, now. Yeah, I’d- I’d have preferred if you let me know, but… but prioritizing your boyfriends over m- over family stuff, that’s just…”

Logan felt slightly faint.

“It’s normal,” Thomas finished quietly, “I was mad, earlier, but I’m not anymore. I shouldn’t have-”

“Shut. Up.”

“Hey!” said Thomas, frowning.

“I do not prioritize my romantic partners over you,” said Logan.

Thomas winced.

“Okay, not sure how you said that, to be honest. I mean- what do you call today, then, Berry?”

“I was exceedingly distracted,” said Logan, face warming slightly, “Which I am _certain_ you do not want me to elaborate on. But I would never consciously choose one of them over you, under any conceivable circumstances,”

Thomas sat up then, still frowning. He picked at some loose thread on his jeans.

“Logan, you go nuts when you miss them,” he said quietly, “You _need_ them. You don’t have to-”

“You are correct,” said Logan, “However, I need Roman, Patton and Virgil in the same way I need glasses and stimming supplies and a weighted blanket. I need you in the way I need all of my _limbs intact,_”

Thomas looked startled, and Logan now not only felt guilty, but _baffled_. He hadn’t thought he’d needed to _say it_ – how was it not obvious? Logan had survived years without his partners; he could scarcely _comprehend_ being without _Thomas_.

“I could no more prioritize the three of them over you than I could prioritize them over _breathing,”_ said Logan, somehow both startled and completely unsurprised that he sounded on the verge of tears.

Thomas fairly lunged at him, wrapping Logan in a hug so tight all the air rushed out of Logan’s lungs. Logan squeezed right back, pressing the side of his head to his brother’s.

“Gosh, Berry, it’s almost like you like me or something,” said Thomas thickly.

“Shut up, Bug,”

Thomas laughed, sniffling a little and pressing his head back.

They stood like that for a few long moments, until Thomas gave him one final, punctuating squeeze and let go.

“Alright,” he said, “Let’s go see if you even still have boyfriends,”

Logan winced.

At the foot of the stairs, Logan looked around the ground floor – empty, except for Virgil sitting on the couch with his hands folded in his lap and a strange expression on his face. Logan could hear faint voices – it sounded as if his parents had separated Patton and Roman to the front and back porches.

“Virgil?” said Logan.

Virgil looked up, still with that odd expression. Logan crossed the living room, sitting next to him.

“What happened?” he asked quietly.

Virgil tilted his head, his face a picture of confusion, and possibly nausea.

“I think your mother hexed me,” he said, “Um. Somehow,”

Thomas snorted, and Virgil gave him a half-hearted glare.

“My mother does not have magical abilities, as far as I am aware,” said Logan, “Can you elaborate?”

“She, uh-”

He cleared his throat.

“I don’t know, she- she frowned a lot? And she said, uh-”

Virgil’s face had gone slightly pink.

“She said she was… disappointed. In me,”

Thomas snorted again, and Virgil’s frown deepened.

“And… what makes you think she hexed you with this comment?” said Logan, trying not to let his incredulity show.

“Because I felt like she punched me in the _stomach_,” said Virgil, “That’s not- that’s not normal,”

Thomas lost it.

“Thomas,” said Logan, trying for admonishing.

“Virgil, you got _mommed_, not cursed,” said Thomas, “It’s totally normal, I promise,”

“That doesn’t sound right,” said Virgil.

“You’re taller than Momma, right?” said Thomas.

“Obviously,”

“Did you _feel_ taller than her when she said it?”

Virgil’s face turned considering.

“…No,” he said.

“Definitely just got mommed then,” said Thomas, clapping him on the shoulder, “Get used to it,”

“Is that even possible? It was awful,”

“No,” said Logan and Thomas, in near-perfect unison.

Eventually Patton entered from the front door with Dad at his side, pink and shamefaced, and then Roman with Mom from the back. _He _was outright crimson – apparently Ms. Gage thought the most appropriate punishment had been to give him a “sex talk refresher course” over the phone, in front of Mom. Seeing as Ms. Gage was a _medical professional_, it had probably been uncomfortably thorough.

Patton’s parents had apparently reacted similarly to Logan’s, though with more focus on reminding him he’d gotten _Logan_ in trouble. Logan had to admit that there probably _wasn’t_ a more effective way to punish Patton.

With promises of more responsible behavior from all of them, Logan’s parents seemed satisfied enough to leave them to their own devices. Several minutes of what could only be described as dithering resulted in settling on breaking out the pictionary set.

“Dibs on Thomas,” said Logan immediately.

“Dibs on being first to sit out, in that case,” said Roman.

“We’re gonna get slaughtered,” said Patton happily, bumping Virgil.

Virgil gave him an alarmed look.

“Why? Are they good?”

“They can read each other’s minds,” said Patton sagely.

“That is not true,” said Logan.

“Yes, it is,” said Thomas.

Logan gave him a dry look, and Thomas just grinned.

“Alright,” Logan conceded, grinning back. “It is a little true,”

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me over on [tumblr!](tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors.tumblr.com)


End file.
